inFamous Second Son Review Round-Up: Does The PS4 Exclusive Deliver?

Tomorrow the PS4 exclusive superhero game inFamous: Second Son will launch worldwide. The reviews are already online, though. So, what did critics think of Sucker Punch's last game?

Luckily for PS4 owners, the reviews have been mostly positive so far. Here's a sample of what's been published so far. If the present trend keeps up, the Metacritic average will probably land somewhere in the 80's:

The consensus seems to be that Delsin's various superpowers are fun to wield. Sucker Punch's depiction of Seattle was also singled out for praise. It's a next-gen game that looks next-gen.

The downside of next-gen technology, though, is that expectations are higher. A lot of reviewers expressed disappointment that the game didn't really innovate on traditional open-world gameplay:

"I struggled with feeling let down that Second Son isn't a brilliant shift for action games. My small disappointments come mostly as a result of undeveloped potential. It had a chance to be a superhero game about more serious issues as well as a showcase for the power of the new generation of consoles. Instead, Second Son is more of the Infamous I already loved last generation, prettier, with more powers and better writing." - Polygon

"Open-world superhero action games are about freedom and empowerment, and in these regards, Second Son is really impressive. Seattle is a big, beautiful playground for you to stomp around in with a set of devilishly fun and powerful toys at your disposal. It plays great, and it looks even better, but its advancements also beg it to be held to a higher standard, one that its overall story and morality systems struggle to reach." - Gamespot

"As pretty and playable as it is, in no sense is inFamous: Second Son a post-Grand Theft Auto 5 open-world game. It's just a tidier, shorter and shinier one. It's easy to enjoy and has a winning personality, but it's reluctant to deviate from a stale streetmap of game city. It's no rebel, then. In fact, it's a conformist." - Eurogamer

"While it does little to push the open world format forward, this is still a series that’s very much in bloom." - Push Square

"As an open-world game, Second Son feels emaciated. There’s little to do in the way of side missions, and what is here becomes repetitive, unlikely to sustain interest beyond a single playthrough. Approach it as an action game that just happens to be set in a nonlinear environment and it makes more sense, but its not-inconsiderable achievements take effort to uncover."

Critics seem underwhelmed with side missions and the new protagonist. That's disappointing to hear, because those were common complaints with the first two inFamous games as well.

On the whole, though, the game sounds like a nice addition to the PS4's library. That's great news because there aren't a huge number of games available for the console. I'm sure a lot of new PS4 owners are looking for something to do and this superhero adventure could be right up their alley.